Summer Music Festival Preview 2019

2019's sound check for the solstice

The crowd for Aqueous' Friday set at Night Lights 2018 at the Heron Grounds

If you're looking for a weekend filled with great music and unforgettable times, there are plenty of music festivals to check out in our area. In mere minutes, you can escape to a place where the lineups are packed and the vibes are good. Some are more for the hippie-hearted, while others cater to a more lighthearted folkier crowd. Many include easy options for camping and all are less than an hour-and-a-half away from Erie, PA.

The best fests that hit close to home

Right after graduation, the college town of Edinboro gets ready to host their ever-growing celebration of music and art. A great unofficial start to festival season, this weekend serves up performances spread out over four days and six stages throughout the borough, with folky sounds wafting all around for a family-friendly vibe.

The sophomore effort brought to you by the Cambridge Springs Fire Department carries on the legacy of the long-running festival at the historic Riverside Inn, which was lost to a fire in 2017. Catch acts on multiple stages over three days, filled with some of the best regional talent around playing rock, blues, indie, folk, and more.

Crowds gather to watch Town Pants' performance at last year's Great Blue Heron Festival.

Great Blue Heron

July 5 - 7

Sherman, NY (42 minutes away)

Headliners: The Wailers, Donna the Buffalo, 10,000 Maniacs

Since 1992, the Great Blue Heron has grown to become a can't-miss weekend for thousands of new and dedicated fans each year. This gorgeous location (home to an organic farm) has evolved to be perfectly designed for the festival experience, with covered forests, scenic views, and well-kept stages and facilities. The Heron is unmatched, the #1 destination for folk, Americana, and roots music for a weekend camping experience. With its unique and unforgettable family-friendly atmosphere, it's easy to have a "happy heron" here.

Voted Erie's Best Festival in the Erie Reader's Best of Erie awards in 2018, Roar on the Shore is an epic celebration of the motorcycle life. This year's grand marshal, Kim Coates of *Sons of Anarchy, will lead the parade on Thursday, with concerts going on all weekend on two stages, and special rides happening throughout Erie County. Much to the delight of most peace-loving festival goers, a recent change of plans has this year's festivities centered around the Lake Erie Speedway, and not downtown Erie, as it has been in past years. As the sound of revving engines and sight of leather and chrome will fill the race track and beyond, as thousands of riders visit the area for the festivities.

Now in its second year, Whirlybird has grown from one day to three. Located in the heart of downtown Jamestown, the festival helps to raise money for the Infinity & YMCA Camp Onyahsa music and scholarship programs. The lineup of high-energy, danceable bands is a well-curated assortment from Western New York and beyond. Spread out over different locations, more than half of the performances are free and family-friendly, though some are for guests 21 and over only.

Presque Isle State Park – voted Best of Erie for "Best Tourist Attraction" and "Best Place for a First Date" in the Erie Reader – is an essential site to take in. During Discover Presque Isle, The Presque Isle Partnership makes sure that the weekend is packed with dozens of different vendors and activities dotting the gorgeous peninsula. With a can't-miss Arts and Crafts show and live music throughout the weekend, the natural beauty of the park will host a fun-filled event for all ages.

Perennial emcee Garrett Skindell announces the next band at the 2018 Gathering at Chaffee's

The Gathering at Chaffee's

July 26 - 27

Girard, PA (28 minutes away)

Headliners: Spiritual Rez, Magic Beans, Mungion

As one of the longest-running music festivals in the United States, the Gathering at Chaffee's is set for its 39th year. Few weekends bring together this many talented Erie musicians and have such a strong sense of family as Chaffee's. Serving up a free-spirited, welcoming, and colorful vibe, with acres of woods and three stages, this is the quintessential camping festival for the Erie community.

In its 28th year overall, Erie's Blues and Jazz Festival still continues to evolve. Long known as the Erie Art Museum Blues and Jazz Festival, this can't-miss weekend is now being spearheaded by Erie Arts and Culture for the second time around and has teamed up with Lake Erie Cyclefest. Continuing the tradition of excellence, all of Erie is welcome at the free Frontier Park event for a memorable, and rightfully well-loved experience. Catch the blues on Saturday, jazz on Sunday, with special all-ages and performance arts events preceding the music on Friday.

An Erie institution that began in the mid-'70s, Celebrate Erie is a free event located in the heart of downtown. Organized by the city government, it ties together local music, food, and culture for a truly local experience. The family-friendly environment has plenty of interactive activities stretching for blocks on northern State Street and Perry Square. Past lineups have boasted nationally known headlining acts like Sugar Ray, Kool & the Gang, and Three Doors Down, with the best local talent filling out the event's multiple stages.

Night Lights, a groove-oriented late summer festival that takes place on the same site as the Heron, was headlined last year by jam bands such as Aqueous (joined here by guitarist Chuck Garvey of Moe.).

Night Lights

August 22 - 24

Sherman, NY (42 minutes away)

Headliners: TBA

Get one last weekend in at the picturesque Heron grounds for Night Lights, a festival that lives up to its name. With multiple colors illuminating the forest backdrop, set up camp, and party to your heart's content to groove-based jams that run late into the night. Past music alumni include Aqueous, Dopopod, and Lotus. It's a psychedelic adventure that continues to gather steam, with new guests and returning attendees alike.

The Brewerie at Union Station is Erie's longest running brewpub and restaurant, located in an eye-catching former train station. Arts & Drafts is a biannual event featuring more than 70 local artists and 14 different musical acts. The fall edition utilizes the trackside stage as well as the first-floor pub (the March version takes place entirely indoors), with full bands in the outdoor environment. A wide offering of craft beer and hundreds of pieces of art will be for sale in one of the defining moments of the season.

Now in its sixth year of existence, Resonance Music Festival has found a new, much closer home. This year's event will take place at the lovely Cooper's Lake Event Venue and Campground, a 450-acre space alongside I-79, and a popular destination for medieval reenactments. Featuring an impressive lineup of top-tier, nationally recognized jam and electronica bands, this event merges visual arts as well for a one-of-a-kind closer to festival season, with what will likely prove to be the biggest of its kind in the region for a new generation.

Adventures all season at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park

Garrettsville, OH (1 hour 40 minutes away), 12001 Nelson Ledges Rd.

nlqp.com, tickets available at ticketquarry.com // No glass bottles, no dogs // group passes (includes camping for up to seven people), single day passes, and children's rates available (children 0 - 4 free)

Spring Badfish

May 31 - June 2

Headliners: Badfish, Bumpin' Uglies, Roots of Creation

The popular Sublime tribute band returns for another two nights of headlining sets.

Shows begin at 5:30 p.m. at Beach 1 and continue until that large fiery ball in the sky sinks below the lake on the horizon.

Author Joe Newcomer's Return to Erie

by Marie Turko5/22/2019, 11:45 AM

Locals may recognize him as the frontman of the original rock band Mas Nova. These days, he is a panel member of the Arizona-based, comic book-themed podcast Comic Playground, led by comedian Frank Caliendo.

The Standby's Memorial Day Yeehaw

by Dylan Tutmaher5/22/2019, 11:45 AM

On May 27th, the first ever "Memorial Day Yeehaw" will be headlined by beloved Erie indie trio The Standby.